Callum Jones

A man who narrowly avoided crashing into a group of schoolchildren after he attempted to get away from a police car in Northamptonshire has been jailed for 21 months.

William Wallace, aged 42, was driving a Ford Escort estate on the A43 near Rothwell on June 19 when officers indicated for him to stop.

Northampton Crown Court heard Wallace sped away from the police car and then travelled on to the A14 where he undertook vehicles and then travelled into the path of oncoming traffic when he got to a queue of traffic on a roundabout.

The court heard he then travelled down Desborough Road, near Montsaye Academy, and went through a pedestrian crossing where a group of 30-40 schoolchildren were about to use.

Wallace then drove the wrong way up and one-way street and then stopped his vehicle and ran off. However, he was caught by a police officer after 150 yards.

In a police interview, Wallace, of a caravan park near Market Harborough, admitted his driving had been bad and later pleaded guilty to a charge of dangerous driving.

He was also found to be in breach of a 12-month suspended sentence order he received in March of this year.

Judge Lynn Tayton said Wallace was responsible for a sustained period of dangerous driving that put a significant number of lives at risk.

Judge Tayton activated the 12-month suspended sentence order and added an extra nine months for the dangerous driving.